Part I: If there ever was a thing like Fate
by Derdra The Brave
Summary: This is going to be a series from now on; part II will be out soon. Bilbo never expected the dragon to follow him home. A !Smauglives fanfiction, where Smaug is in a human body. Slash.
1. Chapter 1

It really was just to much, Bilbo thought to himself.

Nearly a year after his return to the shire and things only just settling back down to their usual ways. No more talk amongst neighbors in the market place about 'Mister Bilbo and his strange adventures' or where it was he had really been, and what he had been doing. Or his favorite as of late was 'How do you suppose he got that gold?' he'd heard enough of the from Lobelia.

He did have to admit, the gold was a nice thing to have. A little extra jingle in his pocket that didn't have to go into his accountancy booklets was much appreciated; Bagend was large and it needed upkeep at an almost constant rate year round. Thank heavens for the Gamgee's and their hard work, he thought.

But this? After everything else that had happened to him, this?

There had been a knock on his door and he had gone to see who it was, as any polite gentle hobbit would so early after breakfast. Rising from the kitchen table, he chewed the piece of toast in his mouth and dusted off bits of crumbs from his night robe trying to look as presentable as one could so early.

However, when he opened the door there appeared to be a tall figure blocking the entrance. At first he thought it was Gandalf, come to pay him a visit; he hadn't stopped by since Bilbo had come back to Hobbiton. But this person's cloths were different, not the usual gray robes of the wizard. Instead they were dark and weather worn. Dirty with mud dust from the road, and frayed at the edges, and a traveling bag was slung over his shoulder. Bilbo swallowed his toast thickly as his eyes scanned upwards towards the face of the stranger.

It was a man, or rather it had the appearance of a man. It looked like a man, only...the eyes were rather foreboding. They were golden and seemed to peer right into him. The man himself was smooth faced and dark haired.

"Baggins?" He said, a deep throaty sound. Somewhere in the back of his mind Bilbo was sure he had heard it before. Well, he thought, this wasn't the time for impoliteness let alone sudden irrational fear over someone in need.

"Ah-yes, Bilbo Baggins at your service" he said.

The stranger leaned on his door frame to inspect the hobbit closer, letting his gold eyes rove over the hobbit, and Bilbo began to feel uncomfortable.

"Um..y-you seem to know me. I didn't catch your name, Mister..?"

"Smaug."

"Oh... You must have come from Lake town then. Do you call yourself after the dragon then or-?" He was cut short when the stranger leaned close enough to his face that Bilbo could feel the heat rolling off him in waves. He inhaled through his nose, smelling the air around the hobbit, or perhaps it was the hobbit alone he was smelling.

"I smell you thief. I feel your air. I hear your breath. I can even hear the racing of your heart." He rumbled. Bilbo stood frozen on the door step, petrified. If he were able he would have slammed the door and bolt it behind him before going to fetch sting from his study. But no such luck there.

"...the dragon." Bilbo whispered. Smaug grinned before pushing his way past Bilbo and into Bagend; Bilbo didn't even try to stop him he was still to shaken up. But, he closed the door because he was letting the heat out and it would do better with a little privacy.


	2. Chapter 2

Bilbo sat at the kitchen table, trying not to squirm under the gaze of the dragon-man. Which was hard to do considering that he sat across from him, pinning him down with his gold eyes like he had done before in the mountain.

Bilbo wished he could truly disappear at that moment, without the help of the ring. Shifting on the bench he seemed to find that everything else in the kitchen was of interest, save his guest.

He cleared his throat "Um, I-I expect you came here for the gold then, heh..."

"Not gold, little thief," said Smaug.

"Well...if you don't mind me asking, what did you, um, come all the way here for?"

"I came here from Dale. As you can see I am no water bloated corpse below the Lake-men's town. That night I was pierced by an arrow as black as coal and I fell into the lake. I had some will to live yet as I sank down into the water," he growled.

"Dragons of old know the deep magic of the Beginning, and I changed my shape into that of a man with what strength I had left in me so that I might escape. Now...it is gone and I am in limbo while I remain in this shape. Not for a long time will I be Dragon-born again, so worry not little thief,"

Bilbo, who had fixed a cup of tea for himself stared at his guest with the saucer in one hand and the tea cup poised midway to his lips. By now his tea had gone quite cold.

Smaug saw this and smirked, a sharp canine peaked past his lips.

"I have no home now, my treasure is gone, lake-men, dwarfs,elves have taken it all for themselves. I am weary and your home is most inviting. It in turn reminds me of being beneath the mountain again."

Bilbo wasn't sure, but he felt like that was a compliment. Imagine that, a Dragon paying him a compliment. He set his tea down; no use drinking it cold.

"As well it should. I don't like to brag but this is the biggest hobbit hole aside from the Brandy Hall's great smials over in buckland," Bilbo gushed for a moment before remembering that the man was still technically a Dragon.

Smaug smirked, the sun caught the gold of his eye's, turning them a flashing brilliant hue. He looked dangerous and much more. Bilbo thought they seemed to posses a deep fire locked within and unrestrained greed.

"So much so-" He rose and circled the table until he was behind Bilbo "-that I will stay here," Bilbo felt the heat of Smaug's hands as they came to rest on his shoulders. He tensed.

Enough of this! Shrugging his hands off he stood and turned; looking up at his unwelcome visitor who had to hunch down slightly, he set his mind on his goal.

"Now look here you; I didn't invite you into my home just for you to make yourself welcome. I've a right mind to find Sting and poke you out of here for trespassing!"

Smaug, startled that Bilbo had voiced himself, threw his head as far back as he could and laughed a deep throaty laugh that Bilbo felt all the way down to his furry toes.

"And yet you did the same to me. Or did you forget suddenly how you stole my treasure and entered my domain without permission! How like a mortal creature you are to come to conclusions," Smaug's voice carried as he explored the hobbit hole.

"Hey, come back I'm not done with you!" He tailed his guest as he roamed through his house, picking up miscellaneous objects and bobbles; glancing at a picture of his mother and father from the mantle piece, running his fingers over books that had migrated from his study out so the hallway.

Occasionally there was the usual "Put that down!" or "Don't touch; that's an antique,"

"Your cave is very dull. Nothing, save one thing, of value here," Smaug eyed Bilbo. Uh oh, there was that greedy glint again, he thought.

"My home is not dull, it's full of interesting things, at least to me that is-and what do you mean by

"Save one," he questioned. Smaug leaned down as he did at the door and smirked. The heat the rolled off of his body was nearly stifling.

"One what, you ask? Why little thief, it's you."


	3. Chapter 3

Bilbo, bolting his bedroom door after pushing Smaug out saying "-Privacy please, if you don't mind-" dressed hurriedly. "Now stop taking my things from off the shelves!" Bilbo said with aggravation through the door while shrugging his shirt on.

Smaug, tried the handle at first before ending up pacing in an un-dragon like way outside while he waited and rumbled in irritation. Bilbo emerged soon enough and made a beeline for his study with Smaug following like a shadow.

"Alright now look-" he began before Smaug caught hold of him with a firm forearm braced against his chest while the other grabbed his shirt and yanked the collar down, exposing the juncture of his neck. Before Bilbo could protest at all Smaug bit the tender flesh.

"Whaaa-?!"

And sucked.

"Ahh!"

And nibbled.

"Ooohh...No! Nonononono-stop, let go-"

Smaug's clever tongue was quite persistent and licked a trail from his neck to the tip of his pointed ear before sucking. Mine, he thought greedily as he explored, and rumbled with pleasure.

Bilbo shivered; moaning as a hot hand slithered through the opening of his shirt. A small part of his mind somewhere in the back knew that a button had popped free. The bigger part however, didn't really care.

Smaug growled low in his throat, like a great storm on the horizon. His hand found the sensitive part of his chest. Bilbo would have gladly been swept away in sensation, but the fog lifted suddenly when his nipple was tweaked a bit hard.

Bilbo shoved him away while he still could before dashing to his study, locking the door tight behind him, and slid down against it trying to catch his breath, his heart pounding in his ears. His shirt hung lopsided off of one shoulder in an almost comical way had it not been for a few minutes ago.

"I really need to find those books. This is getting out of hand,"

The stillness could be felt all through the hobbit hole. A bird chirped outside and Smaug's ears pricked briefly at the sound. Turning he set to work on making the hobbit-cave more to his taste. Moving with stealth was the ability any dragon possessed, as well as a keen eye for lovely things.

All Dragons have a love of beauty, but they're rather picky about what they hoard.

Smaug searched everywhere for trinkets and lovelies; a bit of sapphire colored sea glass, a dusty hand mirror from the washroom, several shiny copper cooking pans from the kitchen, all of Bilbo's silver spoons, every last one of the lead crystal drawer knobs from the bedroom that unscrewed, and after rummaging around the Mithrial shirt from the dwarfs.

Smaug deposited his spoils on top of Bilbo's neatly made bed. Not nearly enough for a nest, it wasn't grand enough and he needed more.

The study was his only safe place now; dust motes could be seen as the light of morning poured through the small window and illuminated the study. Books lay scattered around him as he dusted, cleared and searched through shelves and chests for what he sought.

And there under papers and other things in a chest, was the book. Blowing dust from it Bilbo retrieved it from the bottom of the chest "-There you are, haven't read this since I was a tween-" and gingerly opened the frayed moleskin cover.

The Creatures of Middle-earth: A guide to the fantastical

"-table of contents...Alicorn...Chimaera...Ah here! Drakes and their habits-"

He flipped a page and scanned.

"-Created during the first age by Melkor, yet could not be tamed. Only four can breath fire and fly, others are classified as Wyrms see back-"

Flipped another page.

"-all hoard precious metals, mostly gold, and gems. Very intelligent, immense cunning, great physical strength, and a power called "dragon-spell" used through hypnosis. Are usually avaricious and fairly insolent, which is only to be expected given his power and considerable physical strength. Jewels serve a specific purpose for the dragon in that he usually sleeps on a bed of gems and gold to create an inpenatrible armor for his soft underbelly-"

Bilbo flipped another page; something caught his eye "- the mating displays of Drakes varies as do all for every species and has only be recorded by few who've lived to tell the tale. The gold in which a dragon hoards serves a double purpouse and not just as a collection. Male dragons offen hoard large quantities to impress potential mates; the larger a hoard the more powerful and likely he is to be chosen-"

"-sometimes Drakes seeking a mate will venture into his domain and steal an article from his hoard to impress him of their own stealth and prowess. If they can keep it away for long enoug he will except their claim as a mate. Next, the male drake will begin courting by building up his nest with jewels and gold from his hoard to tempt the potential mate to venture further in; Dragons in heat will only except the finest of treasure and nothing less-"

Oh dear. Not good, not good at all. With a dawning ralization, Bilbo closed the book; a hot flush spread to his face. Smaug though he was a potential mate which meant... Oh dear.


	4. Chapter 4

It was a long time before he opened the study door, and only then by a hairs breath to take a look. The hobbit hole was silent and still; his only companion the sound of his own deep breathing. Cracking the door open more he saw that the hallway was empty.

Hobbits as some people still remember are incredibly light footed and stealthy when they want to be and can even pass unnoticed by normal people all together until they ask you for directions and startle you off your rocker.

Creeping as silently as possible through the house, Bilbo came to the conclusion that Smaug had vacated and that he was alone. Slipping the remains of his ruined shirt back up his frame he nodded proudly and made his way back to the study but paused when he saw his bedroom door was cracked open so a thin slit of the inside showed.

Pushing it open his mouth hung open at what he found laying inside. Copper cookware, antique jewelry, broaches, pins, glass bottles of every color under the sun as well as shape, his silver spoons, and apparently the one small chest of gold he had brought home from his adventures hadn't escaped Smaugs keen eye either.

Everything lay heaped on his bed, on the floor, and everywhere else he looked.

"I think I need my pipe,"

Dragons not only hoard things, the thrill is in the hunt and tracking them down. A sort of adrenalin rush, the feeling of getting closer and then claiming. And Smaug the Great, chiefest of calamities, and the most magnificent knew he was close to finding the perfect object to add to his nest.

And then he saw it literally walk right in front of him, sparkling as it caught the light.

Surely this would attract the hobbit creature to join him in courtship. It had too.

Hobbitan was a quiet place, with quiet families who had normal lives. It was very rare for a big person from across the water or even from Bree for that matter to venture out and into their sleepy homesteads. But people today seemed agitated by the fact that there was a strange man in strange clothing moving about in a strange fashion.

Not to mention the reports from several people that things had gone missing. Odd things too: cookware for instance, and some of the ginger-ale bottles from the Green dragon's store rooms had disappeared as if in a puff of smoke; May Bracegirdle was telling Laura Chubb on their way to town how one of her good jeweled broaches she had left by the window that morning was gone after she had come back from breakfast.

"Well that's just what you get for leaving your window open. A magpie probably snatched it up; you know how they like shiny things this time of year," she'd said. They nodded and ended up on the subject of nothing in particular.

Until Lobelia Sackville-Baggins passed by them and then the two hobbit women said their good-days and left. Now this is only a retelling of what happened that day, which would later become a bit of a legend.

Lobelia was wearing a ridiculously flouncy lavender dress that came with an equally ridiculous parasol. She was also wearing a priceless silver pin at the closure of her dress from with a large amethyst close to the the size of a chicken egg at it's center. The only witnesses where Lobelia, Laura and May who later told the Sheriff that a dark clothed person jumped from the bushes in front of Lobelia, who later said how she had fought off her attacker by brandishing her parasol, and snatched the pin from her dress before running off and disappearing.

Of course Laura and May both had a similar story; someone had jumped out of the bushes and taken Lobelia's amethyst pin, but Lobelia had apparently neglected to mention how it was the front of her dress was ripped open so badly her corset and underthings showed.

"You should have seen her, whacking away at him with her parasol and then the ripping sound," May said while Laura had stifled her snorts with the back of her hand.

"Well then her parasol popped opened which startled her so badly she fell backwards where she ended up with her skirts up over her head showing the whole world her personals,"

And that was all it took before everyone at the sheriff station, save Lobelia who stormed out cursing up ten new words you never use even today, to bust out laughing. And from that moment on whenever anyone ripped their cloths so badly that they gaped open wide it was called 'Doing the Lobelia"

Smaug of course was very pleased with himself as he added the final touch to his nest; a beautiful amethyst and silver pin.

"Where did all of this come from?" Bilbo asked behind him. Smaug turned and for a moment appeared sheepish. A sheepish Dragon? Now I've seen it all, he thought. And there in the center of the pile of odd things was the pin. Bilbo recognized it instantly and his heart sank.

"What is this-" He held it up to Smaug "-doing here. This is Lobelia's pin,"

"It's the closest thing I could find. If I still were Dragon-born I would have offered you the Arkenstone it's self as a courtship gift," He said puffing his chest out proudly. Bilbo's shoulders slumped.

The text from the book came to mind "- dragons will only accept the finest of jewels, gold and metals during courtship-"

"And what if I had accepted the Arkenstone?"

"We would then begin our courtship," he said, adjusting a crystal pin set on the dresser. Bilbo looked around his bedroom again. This wouldn't do, this just wouldn't do.

" You can't just steal things for a-a-a-"

"Nest."

"Yes, a nest. It's all very well and good for Dragons, but your not one at the moment and this isn't decent and you don't know my answer and-and-" Bilbo carried on waving his arms around him indicating the mess of what-not's in his room.

"But you did want to be my mate, you initialized the courting and I am more than willing to do what I must to win you; all Dragon-born are faithful and loyal to only one and you are the only one who has ever been worthy. In fact, you are the only one at all," Smaug said with the most serious look in his eyes.

Bilbo's breath caught. The only one? As in the only one ever? No one else had even tried then; not that he could blame them, he had been a huge, scaly, fire breathing Drake who would kill anybody on site.

He suddenly thought of Thorin and himself. He'd been pushy, doubtful, snarky and even rude at times on the quest to him, but only at first. After a time he'd come to see Bilbo as more that what met the eye at first glance, and Bilbo saw that Thorin was willing to do anything to bring his people back to their former glory.

Even his own death it seemed. He wondered then, if he hadn't died and if he had stayed, would there have been anything between them at all? Would he have tried to reach for more than a friendship between them? Cold have even have been possible?

He shook his head. There was no use wondering about the 'What if's' than there here-and-now's. And that meant dealing with Smaug.

"Look, it's true I did initialize it, but only on accident. I was hired to steal things, you know," he huffed. The corners of Smaugs mouth twitched upward, just enough to keep his lips silent before kneeling down to the hobbits height to look him in the eyes better.

"So you did Little-theif," he brushed a strand of hair away from the Hobbits face.

"My name is Bilbo Baggins," he said

"So you revel your true name to me then. Perfect,"

"Now look I want you to put back everything you took from everyone, including Lobelia's pin-it's hers and I don't want any trouble from her- and then we'll see."

"Fine-" Smaug glowered "-and then we will begin the courtship?" he asked.

"Don't Dragons usually take what they want?"

"Mating is different. We take time to select our mates carefully; not as mortals do running around professing undying love for one while they attend to another."

"We don't do that either!-" Bilbo bristled "-at least not respectable hobbits,"

"Oh, and pray what is it your kind do when they want to mate?" Smaug replied testily.

"Well, gentle-hobbits walk their intended's home at night, they give them flowers and gifts of nice things that they might enjoy. Of course, when we're younger we see what we might fancy more. Some like lads, others lasses, and sometimes both; but when you want to settle down you get more serious than just sneaking behind the barn or into the woods for a quick roll with someone,"

"And should I do these things to please you? The will you let us court?"

"Well...I suppose if you do it in your own way and not by stealing things from people. Yes, I think it would work, I've never actually been courted either to tell you the truth, so this is new to me as well,"

Smaug's nose as press right underneath his chin and he felt the heat again from his body. He sniffed and nosed his way up to his ear and for a moment Bilbo though he was going to bite him again.

"Then I will do everything to make you mine Bilbo Baggins; Dragons always fulfill their oaths," he whispered.


End file.
